A video purporting to show men firing guns in Ontario was actually filmed in the United States.
Recently, a post went viral showing a group of men firing off guns, purportedly in Caledon, Ontario:
The post was then followed by a claim that all trade and immigration with India should be halted, and the argument that the media would focus more on the story if it involved the United States.
The post has been viewed over 250,000 times. Yet the central claim in the post is false. The video does not show something that occurred in Canada. Rather, as noted by the Ontario Provincial Police, the event occurred – ironically – in the United States:
“The OPP is aware of a video circulating online that appears to show an individual discharging a firearm, with claims it occurred in Caledon. Following a review by the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch, investigators have confirmed the video did not take place in Caledon or anywhere in Ontario or Canada and has been determined to have originated in the United States.
The OPP reminds the public to use caution when sharing content online, as unverified information can quickly spread misinformation and cause unnecessary concern in the community.”
The OPP’s correction has about 108,000 views, significantly fewer than the original post that was based on false premises.
Outrage over facts
The asymmetry between the spread of emotionally-salient narratives and the facts is an increasing challenge facing free nations. For example, many anti-immigrant narratives online, including in Canada, centre around the idea that Canada is becoming increasingly crime-ridden and violent as it becomes more diverse and welcomes more people from around the world. However, the facts say otherwise.
Canada’s total crime rate is lower now than it was in 1973. Property crime is lower than in 1967. On the only measure that allows consistent comparison back to 1962, violent crime is roughly at its 1990 level and about 11% below its early-1990s peak. The homicide rate is lower than the mid-late 1980s, lower than the early 1990s, lower than in 2005, and, after spiking in 2022, is coming down. The attempted murder rate has also been on a long-term decline.
The post-pandemic increase in crime has also begun to reverse. This is not to dismiss concerns about crime, which are real and should be addressed. The point is to put these concerns in context, and to note that the facts simply don’t show that Canada has become more violent than in the past. Since the early 1990s, Canada has simultaneously become more diverse and safer.
Unfortunately, when this clashes with politically powerful narratives that seek to deepen divisions, false stories and/or isolated incidents of crime are often used to generate short-term, outrage-driven reactions that can lead to real-world consequences, including rising hatred. For Canada, a country built in large part on being an open and welcoming haven to people from around the world, this is a real concern. That’s why it’s important to hold fast to the facts and recognize that we can address issues related to immigration levels, integration, and crime, while still building on our welcoming nature as Canadians.
Spencer Fernando
Image – Twitter
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